Hospital Workers Made the Difference

Militant work actions by SEIU members, including a work stoppage on August 30 that effectively closed ACMC facilities, finally convinced Cambio and the Alameda County Medical Center Board of Trustees to remove the proposed 200 layoffs from the bargaining table! The agreement was announced at the Sept. 29 meeting of the hospital Board of Trustees and everyone in the room seemed to heave a collective sigh of relief. Vote Health activists joined the union rallies and pickets and spoke at many public meetings condemning the cuts in patient care that would result from such layoffs. We salute SEIU members, who made patient care the centerpiece of their argument!

In order to balance its budget without layoffs, the trustees voted to eliminate about a third of the 315 vacant positions. The trustees also agreed to establish a joint labor­management committee to address staffing needs, patient care, revenue options and restructuring efforts.

NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET

With a resolution to the layoff issue, SEIU now turns its attention to contract negotiations. The contract expired in June, and SEIU members had been working without a contract during the summer¹s work actions. The labor­management committee will not meet until the two sides reach agreement on a new contract. We hope the spirit of cooperation that evolved so very late in this struggle will carry over into the upcoming bargaining. Negotiations began Oct. 11.

There are also other serious problems yet to be faced by ACMC, its workers, and health advocates. The County has demanded a $170 million debt to be repaid over ten years, and although it has backed off its demand for this year¹s $17 million portion of the repayment, they have yet to modify their long-term demands. Even with Measure A funds coming in soon, ACMC would be permanently hobbled by the County¹s demands. We believe that the level of debt claimed by the County is quite unreasonable. On the contrary, there are many examples of the County chronically under funding ACMC and neglecting to pay its fair share. The County has yet to produce documents demanded by SEIU regarding the debt, and the Board of Trustees itself questions the numbers.

Vote Health is also concerned that long-term vacant positions will have a negative impact on patient care. During the chaos of the past year, many experienced staff left ACMC for other employment. For example, more RNs have left the medical center than have been recruited in the past few months. In addition, bad press received locally by ACMC can¹t help in attracting new staff.

A major problem continues with the basic structural conflict between the Board of Supervisors and the Board of Trustees. The supervisors have ultimate financial control over ACMC, yet fob off day-to-day responsibility on an unpaid, appointed group of trustees. Under Dr. Ted Rose¹s leadership, the Trustees have become more independent of the supervisors and are clearly more concerned than are County officials with the future of the medical center. This is the same divide that developed between the previous Trustees and supervisors. Vote Health and other healthcare advocates have urged an improved structure that would prevent the supervisors from shirking their legal responsibility to provide medical services to the poor and uninsured residents of Alameda County .

If ACMC doesn¹t correct significant deficiencies (mainly at Highland Hospital ), cited by federal officials as a result of an unannounced visit Aug.12, those same officials have threatened to cut Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements Nov. 10. In the past few weeks, ACMC has submitted a plan of corrections, and we anxiously await word that the feds have accepted it.

With layoffs postponed for at least a year, SEIU, Vote Health and community activists can take a breath and develop plans for tackling the most serious of ACMC¹s ongoing problems. We¹ll need your help!

Health Care Issues on Nov. 2 Ballot

California is one of only three states requiring a 2/3 vote in the legislature to increase taxes or pass a budget. That gives those representing big business an effective veto over new revenues to fund vital public services, including health care. This quandary is reflected in several healthcare-related measures on the November ballot.

• Prop. 61 authorizes a $750 million bond issue for capital improvements for children¹s hospitals.
• Prop. 63 adds a 1% tax on annual incomes over $1 million, to be used to expand mental health services for children and adults.
• Prop. 67 adds a 3% surcharge on telephone bills (capped at 50 cents /month for residential users) to support emergency rooms and trauma centers which are losing money; many have closed down due to high levels of uncompensated care. Doctors and first responders (paramedics, firefighters, etc.) would also benefit.
• Prop. 71 is a $3 billion bond to fund stem cell research.
• Prop. 72 reaffirms SB 2, signed by Gov. Davis last year, and requires employers of 200 or more to pay at least 80% of health plan costs for their employees and families, or pay an equivalent amount into a fund for that purpose. Smaller employers would be affected several years down the road. Prop. 72 has become the focus of a bitter battle between labor and health advocates on the one side and business on the other.

To one degree or another, these measures support programs many health advocates consider important, but the bond measures and phone tax will also result in the tax burden being shifted from the rich to middle-class and working people. For this reason and others, there are differences within the progressive community on some of these measures. For example, the Green Party is urging a Œno¹ vote on Props. 61, 67 and 71. If you¹d like to get a copy of the Alameda County Green Voter Guide, Vote Health member Jan Arnold has volunteered to supply you with one if you call her at (510) 436-3722. You can check with www.health-access.org for more information on Prop. 72 , and with www.saveemergencycare.org on Prop. 67. Many Vote Health activists have been involved with support for Props. 63, 67 and 72, which seem to have the most vigorous local campaigns going. Get informed and Vote Nov. 2!

Newsletter committee:
Kay Eisenhower, Brad Cleveland, Jim Forsyth, Mary Barnaby.
Our thanks to California Nurses Association for its help in producing this newsletter.